Adjustable rubber eraser for lead pencils



Patented Dec. 25, 133934 ENCILS ADJUSTABLE R'UllBER ERASR FOB LEADwilliam F. naast. casper, Wyo. Application November 13, 1933, Serial No.697,734

l Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in erasers adapted for use withlead pencils, but' when so used the pencil becomes a suitable holderonly, as any other device of propershape would be equally effective inthe eraser assembly. In other words, the fact that the holding device asshown inthe drawing is a lead pencil has no special significance in thecombination. Hence, whenever the term pencil is used in the speciill0cation, it must be understood as suiliciently comprehensive to cover anysuitable device of proper shape and strength to perform `the desiredfunction. The reason a lead pencil is used in the drawing is because itis believed that theprincipal use of the device will be with leadpencils. Pencils having erasers attached to one end have been known foralong time, but the erasers have always been too short to last as longas the lead pencil with the result that long before the lead pencil isworn out, the eraser will be useless.

Itis theobject of 'this invention to produce an eraser assembly in whichthe eraser shall be much longer than that ordinarily employed and whichshall be calculated under ordinarycir- 2liv cumstances to last duringthe life of the pencil,

if employed therewith.

Where a long slim rubber eraser is attached to a pencil, it needs somemeans for steadying' it because it vwould be too iiexible to besuccessfully operated without some/supporting means, and another objectof this invention is to provide an eraser assembly in which a sleeve isrotatably secured to the assembly in such a way that a portion of thesleeve overlaps the eraser and another portion the adjacent end of theApencil. The sleeve is usually provided with threads on its innersurfacev that engage corresponding threads on the pencil and'jhereforewhen .the sleeve 'is rotated, it will also move longitudinally, therebymaking it possible to exspose as much ofthe eraser as may be foundnec-The above and other objects that may become apparent as this descriptionproceeds are attained by means of a constructionand an arrangement otparts that will now be described in detail, andfor this purposereference will be had to theA accompanying drawing in which thepreferred embodiment ofthe vinvention has been illustrated. and inwhich: viIlllg'. 1y is a side elevation of my improved de- Fig. 2 isa-side elevation showing the protecting sleeve in section; 65 Fig. 3 isa section taken on ,wie Hrm. n.

(Cl. 1Z0-38) Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on line 4 4, Fig. y3;and

Fig'. 54 is a view similar to that shown in Fig.

2, but showing a slightly modied form of construction. 5

In the drawing reference numeral 6 indicates a pencil which is made ofwood and constructed in the ordinary manner. fThe lead has beendesignated by reference numeral 7, though it has no signiiicance exceptto show the adaptation of the 10 device. One end of thepencil isprovided with a wedge-shaped notch 8 for the reception o f the wedgepoint 9 of the eraser 10. vThe eraser is made from India rubber of thecomposition usually employed for this purpose 'and is glued to the l5sides of the notch in the end of the pencil. In -the embodiment shown inFigs. 1 to 4, the pencil is provided with threads l1 on its outersurface and rotatably connected with the threaded end of the pencil is aprotecting sleeve 12. The sleeve 20 is provided with threads 13 on itsinner surface which cooperate with the threads'll sothat whenever thesleeve is turned, it will move longitudinally. f The outer end of thesleeve is provided with a cylindrical portion 14 whose inside diameter25 is of the proper size to'receive the eraser and by properlypositioning the sleeve the proper amount,

of eraser can be left exposed and as this wears, the sleeve can berotated so as to expose still more of the eraser and inthis manner theeraser 30 can be used until it is\ entire1y worn out, but will alwayshave proper support for successful operation.

In Figs. Lto 4 the eraser has lbeen shown as secured to the pencil bymeans of glue or. cement, 9.5 andl this requires that a notch be cut inthe end of the pencil.l` This construction also requires ,the outersurface ofthe pencil to be provided with .threads for cooperating withthe threads on the protective sleeve. P 40 In Fig. 5 a slightly modifiedform of constructionihas been shown. ,In this construction the eraser 10has its inner end secured in a connector 15 whose other end` 16- issecured to the 45 end of the lead pencil and heldin place .by anindentation -17. That portion of the connector between the cylindricalends 15 and 16 `is threaded as indicated at 18 and theprotectingsleeve'is so constructed that its threads will engage with thethreads 18.. When the construction shown in Fig. 5 is used the assemblycomprising the eraser, the connector and the protecting sleeve can bemade and assembled and then applied to the end of the lead pencil orother-holder in the same mannerv as is now common practice inconnection' with the usual erasers.

It will beseen from the drawing that by this construction an eraser ofany length can be employed and that by merely rotatingthe protectivesleeve, a greater or less portion o! the eraser can be exposed and asthe eraser wears, the sleeve can be moved downwardly and will serve tosupport the eraser at all points so that it can be usedy the ordinaryeraser now em- 1,9s5,3o7 l provided with a transversely extending notch,

an eraser having one end. wedge-shape andl inserted into the' notch anda tubular sleeve surrounding the eraser and the notched end of theholder, the, sleeve having internal threads which are so dimensionedthat they will'indent the outer surface of the holder to form a threadedengagement therewith, the outer end o! the sleeve having a cylindricalLportion whose inside diameter is the same as the inside diameter of thethreaded opening, the diameter of the eraser being substantially equalto the inside diameter of the cylindrical portion whereby the latterwill steady the eraser.

WILLIAM F. BOAST.

